It follows strike action by consultants and specialist doctors last week
Resident doctors across Northern Ireland are to take part in a 24-hour walkout over pay.
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The strike will start at 7am on Monday and go on until 6.59am on Tuesday.
Resident doctors in hospitals and GP surgeries will stage the action amid a demand for full pay restoration.
It follows strike action by consultants and specialist doctors last week.
The British Medical Association (BMA), a trade union and professional organisation which speaks for doctors, said that all doctors in Northern Ireland are in dispute with the Department of Health.
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They said GPs are still in dispute with the department over the imposition of the 2025/26 General Medical Services (GMS) contract.
Dr Steven Montgomery, chairman of BMA’s Northern Ireland resident doctors committee (NIRDC), said they feel they have been left with no choice other than to strike.
“Pay erosion for resident doctors still sits at up to 20% since 2008 and we lag behind our colleagues in the rest of the UK and in the south of Ireland on pay,” he said.
“Add to that, growing patient numbers without the necessary number of doctors needed to meet this demand and pressure, alongside younger doctors looking to leave the health service to work elsewhere for better pay and working conditions.
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“It is unfortunately a perfect storm for our health service.”
He added: “What does it say about our health service when all branches of practice in medicine are in dispute with the government?
“The health minister can bury his head in the sand about this problem all he wants but the numbers speak for themselves: there are not enough doctors to treat our growing, ageing population as our waiting list crisis demonstrates.
“We also know that over half of penultimate and final year medical students studying in Northern Ireland are either planning to leave the country or are undecided once they finish their foundation training, with poor pay cited as the main reason.
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“These medical students – and us as resident doctors – are the future consultants, GPs and SAS (Specialty, Associate Specialist, and Specialist) doctors that the Department of Health is dependent upon to meet growing patient numbers and implement its plans for a neighbourhood model of care.”
Dr Montgomery has urged Health Minister Mike Nesbitt to “engage in meaningful negotiations towards pay restoration”.
“It is unacceptable that doctors – frontline health care staff – have been once again forced into the position of taking strike action to be heard, while government sits on its hands, counts on our goodwill and delayed pay uplifts to keep the health service going. This cannot continue,” he said.
“We join our consultant and specialist doctor colleagues in calling on government to step in and resolve this dispute with a credible offer to avert strike action and solve these disputes without delay.”
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The Department of Health has been contacted for a response.
The 60-year-old has been starring on the popular BBC programme for 25 years, having initially made his debut back in 2001.
He has now offered an update on his long-term plans for his Cotswold Farm Park, after previously suggesting that leaving the attraction would mark the “end of an era”.
Mr Henson took on the farm from his father Joe, who started running it in 1971 and helped to establish it as a much-loved visitor destination.
In a recent interview with Cotswold Life, he confirmed he still has at least 10 years left on his farm tenancy, signalling he has no intention of walking away in the near future.
He told the magazine: “We’re still a family-run rural business and a large local employer, with 180 people on the books, all of whom are central to the success of the business.
“My mantra has always been to surround myself with people who can do the job better than I can.”
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Looking ahead, Mr Henson said he remains enthusiastic about his broadcasting work and the variety it brings alongside his farming responsibilities.
Regarding his future, he added: “I still enjoy being part of Countryfile, doing the farming slot most weeks.
“I go all over the country behind the scenes on some fascinating farms and talk to really interesting people, picking up ideas I can bring back and share – and I still work as a farmer, which means I can speak to other farmers in a knowledgeable way.
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“We don’t want a heatwave like last year nor a wet year like 2024. We need enough rain to make the grass grow, but plenty of sunshine for our visitors.”
This comes after Mr Henson took a trip to Burford in the west of the county earlier this month to give a talk at Cotswold Gate Care Home on Forest Grove.
It was here that Adam spoke with the Oxford Mail about a variety of subjects, starting with the retirement home itself.
After having earlier remarked how he loved the place and joked to the audience that he needed to put his deposit down to join, he added: “It’s an absolute joy.
“I’ve driven up to the one in Derbyshire in the past as well as the one in Cheltenham, and then this is my second visit here.
“This one is just 20 minutes from home, and coming through Burford is gorgeous.
“The home is beautifully capped and decorated, and I was sitting in this room that has amazing wallpaper, thinking ‘I’d quite like this in my house’.
“The interior design of these places is so lovely, and I’m getting to an age when I’m starting to think about my end-of-life, and where I’ll go and what I’ll do and what it’s going to be like.
“I’m hoping my children will be rich enough to pay for me to go into a very nice home like this!
“It’s a gorgeous place, and to be welcomed at the door was lovely, and everybody’s been so helpful, getting me cups of tea and all the tech work [with the talk’s presentation].
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“So, you know I’m not just saying it, but it’s pretty faultless really.”
Is GTA 6 getting talked up too much? (Rockstar Games)
The Monday letters page asks who’s making the Zelda: Ocarina Of Time remake, as a reader feels the death of physical gaming has already happened.
Games Inbox is a collection of our readers’ letters, comments, and opinions. To join in with the discussions yourself email gamecentral@metro.co.uk
Catch it later Can I ask why everyone is so excited for GTA 6? I like the series, I’ve played them all from the original through the PSP versions, and all the modern games, but I don’t think I’ll lose any sleep if it don’t get it as soon as it comes out.
All the stories are derived from old crime films and the on-foot controls are awful.
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Hopefully they redo the controls for walking and the helicopters. And shooting.
I’m not anti-GTA 6. I will be playing it at some stage and thanks to no social media I can avoid spoilers. I still haven’t seen a minute of Resident Evil Requiem as it’s on my list to buy and it’s been out for months. I do hope the game lives up to everyone’s expectations but we have been burned before, so my cynical side has dominance at this time.
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As mentioned above, no social media maybe means I’m missing out on some of the hype, but I’ll wait and see. Bobwallett
GC: So far, they’ve shown very little of the game, and no raw gameplay at all.
Good timing Well, who would’ve guessed that increasing your prices to ludicrous levels would mean sales start to plummet? I know it’s not their fault, that they have to raise prices, but what’s the endgame here? Normal people aren’t going to want to pay these sort of prices for a games console, so I really don’t know what happens from here on out.
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Sony and Microsoft must be thanking their lucky stars GTA 6 is out this year, so more people are going to be interested in buying a console than normal, but even so this is the most disruptive thing that’s happened to gaming in as long as I can remember. And it’d all thanks to the utterly useless technology that is AI… which Microsoft has played a big part in encouraging. Doshin
Beyond inflation Wow, the news of Xbox raising console prices again is staggering. The Xbox Series S used to be like an impulse buy, often available at £199, and now it’s going to cost just shy of £400!
I would have thought Microsoft would have a fire sale just to clear all the consoles they have in stock, not price themselves completely out of hope of a resurgence in sales. I didn’t even know there was a digital-only Xbox Series X until I read your news – shows how well it was advertised. Mark Matthews
Very bad management Is it unfair of me to think that Sony announced the job layoffs at Bungie at the same time as GTA 6 pre-orders opened, purposefully to bury the news? You can’t prove it, but it definitely turned out to be a useful coincidence for them.
I think it’s obvious that Bungie as we know them no longer exist. They haven’t got the staff to make Destiny 3 now, even if they wanted to, and whatever they are supposedly working on next must be pretty small scale, if it even exists.
It’s a sad end for the creators of Halo and what were for a while one of the most famous developers in the world. I don’t really understand why they weren’t allowed to make Destiny 3 but maybe it would’ve happened if they hadn’t done Marathon instead. That seemed a mad idea from the start but then apparently all this is due to bad management, so I guess that theory check out. Kimba
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Slice of the pie Maybe I’m missing something but I don’t get how Tyler Moon’s Reader’s Feature can be right, maybe I’m slow at this but he said the reason GTA 6 is digital-only is so they can make more money compared to the disc version. But I don’t see how PlayStation and Xbox take as much as 30% of the sale, which on a £100 game could be as much as £30, so how can Rockstar be making more money?
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Surely the reason it’s digital-only is because there’s a really tight time frame and there just isn’t enough time to finish the game and send it to be printed and sent to shops. I’ve pre-ordered the Ultimate Edition and as long as it’s worth the £90 I’m not fussed if it’s digital, disc or powered by a mouse on a wheel. David
GC: There is no indication that GTA 6 is on a tight time frame. All games have to pay a licensing fee to the console manufacturer (and to Steam) but on top of that, if it’s a physical copy, they have to give a cut to the retailer, plus manufacturing and distribution costs. So the digital version is always going to be more profitable.
Empty box For anybody who collects games on physical and they end up buying a box with a GTA 6 download code inside, there is no way that is going to satisfy the collecting gene. A box with a GTA 6 disc inside would scratch the itch, even if the disc only contains the unlock code for the digital game.
Makes no difference if the box art and other contents within it are the same. A box with a code inside and no disc will sit on their shelf, next to all the other stuff, and it’ll never feel quite right. There will always be that nagging feeling that something is just a little bit off with their collection.
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I used to collect PS1 games; had about 300, including all the rare stuff (Castlevania, Suikoden, etc.). All in excellent condition. Decided to trade some of it in. Sold all the rest. All my Xbox 360 games? Got rid of the boxes and put them in cake stand CD holders. Any regrets? None, whatsoever. Paul C. PS: Massive saving at the moment on the Xbox and PlayStation stores for the finest shooter/stealth game ever made, in my opinion. Sniper Elite 4: Digital Deluxe Edition. It’s perfection, almost.
All good things Physical games not existing in a decade seems kinda obvious to me at this point. They barely exist for some formats and genres already and even the Switch is at least 50% digital now, I believe. How long has the PC been digital-only? At least 20 years at this point and it’s never been more popular as a format.
I miss collecting actual boxes and owning stuff but as another reader pointed the boxes don’t have manuals or any cool stuff anymore anyway, so it’s not the same as it used to be even if you try and pretend it is. Things have just moved on, not necessarily for the better, but they have moved on. Gantz
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Perfect remake So I finally took the plunge over the weekend and bought a Switch 2.
Star Fox is one of my favourite games and the draw was a bit too much for me, that and the fact Zelda: Ocarina Of Time is on its way.
I asked for Star Fox from the lady behind the counter before I even asked for a Switch 2.
If I could have envisioned a remake of that game that is exactly how I would have wanted it to be.
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I heard you say the other day that Nintendo left the remaster of Star Fox in the hands of a third party and what a job they have done with it. It is pretty much a straight conversion of a nearly 30-year-old game (that makes me feel old).
Anyway, my question to you guys is, with Ocarina of Time getting a remaster do we know if it’s been passed to a third party or are Nintendo handling it themselves?
As I think if it’s passed to a third party, and this is only my opinion. I suspect it will just be a straight conversion of the N64 classic. Not that I have any problem with that. freeway 77
GC: Velan Studios is third party, but Nintendo has worked with them before, on Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit. We wouldn’t be surprised if Ocarina Of Time was also third party but equally, we’d expect it to be someone Nintendo has a fairly close relationship with. Officially nothing has been said though and in the last few years Nintendo has been very slow at revealing the developers of its games, so we may not know for a while.
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Inbox also-rans Gears Of War: E-Day is going to be such a flop and yet it apparently has a budget of $400 million?! The Xbox console isn’t available to buy new in some countries and the Steam wishlist numbers (which are public!) are awful, so how does this make sense? Ratso
Wanna know my favourite part of the Star Fox remake? They didn’t try and shoehorn Krystal into it. I hate that character, Katt is much better. Binz
The small print New Inbox updates appear every weekday morning, with special Hot Topic Inboxes at the weekend. Readers’ letters are used on merit and may be edited for length and content.
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Greater Manchester Police (GMP) said emergency services were called to the park at around 4.49pm on Saturday (June 27).
Today, the search continued with a specialist underwater unit looking for the boy in the River Irwell.
Throughout the day, concerned members of the public stopped by the police cordon to ask officers for any updates.
One man told The Bolton News: “It’s so sad. People don’t realise how dangerous the water down there is.”
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Officers will remain at Clifton Country Park overnight (Image: Phil Taylor)
We remained at the scene until 5.30pm, when the specialist underwater search unit stood down for the evening.
An officer said: “The search unit has left for the evening and will recommence in the morning.
“Officers will remain at the scene overnight.”
The search is expected to resume at around 7am tomorrow.
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The specialist underwater unit will return in the morning (Image: Phil Taylor)
The incident comes after another water tragedy elsewhere in Greater Manchester.
The body of a 15-year-old boy was recovered from Cowbury Reservoir in Stalybridge after he got into difficulty in the water.
Police were called to the reservoir at around 6.30pm on Saturday (June 27) following reports of a teenager struggling in the water.
Emergency services at Clifton Country Park (Image: Phil Taylor)
Emergency services, including Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS) and North West Ambulance Service (NWAS), attended the scene before specialist teams recovered the boy’s body from the water.
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This week six people have died after getting into difficulty while swimming in open water.
Chief Inspector Helen Baxter said: “We remind the public to please avoid being tempted to cool off in reservoirs, rivers, canals or ponds.
“We all want to enjoy the warm weather. Please make sure you do so in a safe way.”
The theme park has three high-speed roller coasters a 40-foot go-kart track, a bungee-jumping tower and several rides for families and younger kids
A US theme park is enjoying its final few weeks in business as it prepares to shut down after almost four decades.
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The park, Fun Spot America in Atlanta, Georgia, originally opened as Dixieland Fun Park in 1990. It was acquired by the Orlando-based Fun Spot America Theme Parks group in 2017 and will close its gates for the final time on August 2.
The theme park boasts 14 major rides, including three high-speed roller coasters and a 40-foot go-kart track. It is also home to Georgia’s only legal bungee-jumping tower and several milder rides for families and younger kids.
The reason for the shutdown has not been made known by the owners.
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In the absence of significant new financial resources, theme parks with aging attractions often end up too unprofitable to maintain or refurbish, The Street reports.
The theme park’s owners have said they will independently reach out to any customers who booked school or group trips past that date. Any gift cards or season passes that visitors purchased earlier will need to be used before then.
The two other locations under the Fun Spot portfolio – in Orlando and Kissimmee – will continue to operate.
It is not publicly known whether something else will be built on the lot currently home to the theme park, or how the rides will be disassembled.
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It joins the list of theme parks closing down.
“This was an extremely difficult decision,” CEO John Arie Jr. said in a press statement.
“Our Atlanta team has poured their hearts into serving our guests and creating a place where families could have fun together.
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“We are deeply grateful for their dedication and for the support we have received from the Fayetteville community.”
“Come see us, make one more memory, and take one last ride,” Fun Spot America wrote on its Instagram page on June 25.
“Vance, the ringleader of the conspiracy, pleaded guilty to charges of conspiracy to use a minor to produce and distribute a controlled substance, conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance, two counts of distributing a controlled substance to minors, and conspiracy to obstruct justice,” according to the U.S. attorney’s office. “Two co-defendants – his wife Rebecca Vance and friend Keir Ceballos-Rivera – previously pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing.”
He also admitted to feeding his 9 and 11-year-old sons the hallucinogenic mushrooms via capsules every other day. Vance said he began giving his children the hallucinogens around October 2023 and by 2024 began giving the boys the capsules every day.
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“Psilocybin mushrooms are a controlled substance,” the attorney’s office said in a statement, “that act as hallucinogenic drugs, inducing altered states of consciousness and vivid sensory experiences.”
A man in San Diego County, California, has pleaded guilty to growing and distributing hallucinogenic mushrooms and to microdosing his two young sons — ages 9 and 12 — with psilocybin capsules for more than a year (AFP/Getty)
Vance’s defense attorney, Peter Blair, said the government was misrepresenting his client.
“Mr. Vance made statements that he micro-dosed his children and he takes full responsibility, but many of his statements were either exaggerated or wholly dishonest in an attempt to ease the anxieties of friends and relatives seeking to replace their pharmaceutical prescriptions with mushrooms for medicinal purposes,” Blair said in a statement to Courthouse News.
He said Vance’s microdosing claims had to be “dishonest” because the boys would have experienced some ill effect from the volume of hallucinogenic mushrooms they would have consumed if his claim were true.
“Some of the doses my client said he gave the children, 0.2 grams every other day, for example, would have caused significant long-term effects, and the children have always denied that they felt any mind-altering effects from any of the supplements or mushrooms they were given by their father,” he said.
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Blair said Vance’s children were doing fine.
“Mr. Vance regretfully put his family in a horrible situation,” Blair continued. “Despite that, the children are thriving, getting straight A’s in school, and are extremely well-adjusted, showing no signs of harm from any resonant exposure to illicit substances.”
He said that Vance initially became interested in the mushrooms as a possible treatment for Lyme disease and for his wife’s mental health struggles.
In October 2024, police executed a search warrant at one of Vance’s operating locations in Fallbrook, where they found 257 pounds of mushrooms and 18 pounds of growing material. Law enforcement officials found 25 pounds of mushrooms and five pounds of psilocybin capsules, as well as six firearms, at another location in Bonsall.
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The firearms seized in the search include a Glock 34 pistol, a Walther P22 pistol, a Henry Survival AR7 rifle, a Smith and Wesson revolver, an H&R Model 900 revolver, and a Browning 30-06 rifle
Vance reportedly used a pair of websites to market the mushrooms and provided both his wife and his eldest son — 12-years-old at the time — to sell the drugs to their friends.
The plea agreement says that Vance and his co-conspirators destroyed evidence by deleting messages from their phone and shuttering the websites used to market the drugs,
Vance is scheduled to be sentenced on September 18.
Police attended after an unaccompanied Pitbull-type dog attacked a woman’s dog.
After intervening, the hound then attacked the woman.
Police say that her injuries aren’t thought to be serious, but her dog is currently undergoing emergency surgery.
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Cleveland Police confirmed that, due to the risk posed to members of the public, it was forced to put the attacking dog down.
Assistant Chief Constable Dave Sutherland said: “Initial indications are that a member of the public was walking her dog when she was approached by an unaccompanied Pitbull-type dog, which then attacked her pet.
“The lady sustained a dog bite during the incident, and thankfully, this is not believed to be of a serious nature. Sadly, her own dog sustained very serious injuries and was taken to the vet by police officers, where it is currently receiving emergency treatment.
“Unfortunately, due to the serious nature of this incident and the potential risk to other people in the immediate area, our specially trained officers had to put the dog down near the scene.
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“We understand that anyone who witnessed the initial attack or the aftermath may have experienced shock or distress however, the safety of the public is always paramount.
“Enquiries are ongoing, and we are appealing for anyone with information regarding this incident to contact Cleveland Police via the 101 number or via the force website. Please quote reference 125672.”
The motorway is closed to traffic in both directions
Tom Burnett Content Editor
20:30, 28 Jun 2026
A major Lancashire is shut to traffic due to an ongoing ‘police incident’ tonight (Sunday, June 28).
The M65 motorway is closed in both directions between Junction 4 and Junction 3 near Blackburn and Darwen.
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The closure was first reported shortly after 8pm and delays are reported in the area.
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A National Highways spokesperson said: “The M65 has closed in both directions between J4 and J3 near Blackburn due to a Police led incident.
“There are delays of 10 minutes and congestion of approx. 1 mile in the vicinity. Please allow extra time if you’re travelling in the area. Diversion route to follow.”
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A Lancashire Police spokesperson said: “We are currently dealing with a concern for welfare incident between Junction 3 and Junction 4 of the M65. As a result the motorway is closed in both directions. Please avoid the area if you can and we will provide an update when possible. Thank you for your patience.”
Inrix, the traffic data company, said: “M65 in both directions closed due to police incident from J3 A674 Chorley Road (Blackburn West / Wheelton) to J4 A666 Earcroft Way (Darwen / Blackburn South).”
Over a third of the children were still waiting for treatment, with more than 60,000 waiting over two years for help – an increase from over 44,000 children the previous year.
Fewer than one in five with suspected autism or neurodevelopmental conditions went on to receive treatment in 2024-25. Those who did waited, on average, a year for support.
Dame Rachel called the figures “stark”, saying that while there had been some improvements, with more children receiving support last year, it was hard to ignore the “colossal challenge” facing mental health services, as demand outpaces system capacity and funding.
She said there needed to be a shift in approach, with greater focus on joined-up services “across health, education and social care to ensure children are getting the help they need in schools and the community”.
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The charity YoungMinds said it was extremely concerned about the additional barriers and waiting times some were experiencing, particularly by black and racially minoritised children and young people, as well as those referred to services with suspected autism or neurodevelopmental conditions.
The figures show that black and Asian children are underrepresented in referrals and that when they are referred, they are much more likely to be in severe distress or crisis.
One in four black children directed to children and young people’s mental health services were referred for being in crisis, compared with 16% of Asian children and 7.4% of white children – raising questions over why some children from ethnic minority backgrounds are not receiving help earlier.
Children from the poorest 10% of areas in England made up 15% of referrals, compared to 7.6% from the least deprived areas.
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If you are suffering distress or despair, details of help and support in the UK are available at BBC Action Line
It might not sound exciting, but water is one of the most important things for your health. It supports almost every function in the body and can have a big impact on how you feel each day.
One of the first things hydration affects is energy.
Many people feel tired during the day and immediately think they need more caffeine. In reality, they may simply need more water. Even mild dehydration can leave you feeling sluggish, less focused and lacking motivation.
Hydration also plays a big role in digestion.
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Water helps move food through the digestive system and can help reduce issues such as constipation. If you often feel bloated or uncomfortable after meals, improving your water intake is a good place to start.
Another area where water is important is exercise recovery.
When we exercise, especially during warmer weather, we lose fluids through sweat. If these fluids are not replaced, recovery can be slower and you may feel more tired or achy the following day.
Water also plays an important role in joint and muscle health. Our joints need fluid to help them move smoothly and comfortably. When you are not drinking enough, you may notice more stiffness, especially first thing in the morning or after sitting for a while.
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Muscles also rely on proper hydration to work well. Being dehydrated can increase the risk of cramps, tightness and fatigue. Simply drinking enough water can help your body move more freely and comfortably throughout the day.
Sleep is another area that can be affected.
If you are dehydrated, you may wake up feeling thirsty, uncomfortable or with a dry mouth. Drinking enough throughout the day helps support better sleep and can leave you feeling more refreshed in the morning.
One thing I often tell people is not to wait until they feel thirsty.
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Thirst is one sign that your body already needs fluid. A better approach is to sip water regularly throughout the day.
During the summer months, hydration becomes even more important. Warmer weather means we lose more fluid, even when we are not exercising.
You can also include foods with a high water content such as cucumber, watermelon, strawberries and tomatoes.
Sometimes the most effective health habits are also the simplest. Water is a perfect example of that.
Officers from the Bolton North Neighbourhood Team were on patrol in Halliwell on Slater Street when they stopped a vehicle on Saturday evening (June 27).
Following checks, police discovered that the driver was disqualified from driving.
Further enquiries also revealed that the man was in breach of his bail conditions, which prohibited him from entering the Halliwell and Smithills areas.
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The driver was arrested on suspicion of disqualified driving and breach of bail. His vehicle was seized at the scene.
He has since been charged and remanded in custody and is due to appear before Wigan and Leigh Magistrates’ Court tomorrow (June 29 June).
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